King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, and Seattle Foundation announced Monday a combined $2.25 million in emergency funding for critical services for immigrants, refugees, and other residents whose health, safety and human rights are at risk.
The 38 nonprofits, including many in South King County and Kent, that successfully competed for the funding will provide a wide range of services, such as training for educators and mental-health providers who teach or provide treatment to immigrants and refugees. Other examples include providing critical legal services, preventing wage theft, launching a Know Your Rights campaign, and engaging the most vulnerable populations in the immigrant and refugee community.
“We proudly uphold the American promise that we are a nation that welcomes those fleeing oppression, seeking opportunity, and yearning for freedom,” Constantine said in a county media release. “We have created partnerships that will reinforce King County’s reputation as an inclusive community where all are welcome to build a better life.”
“I signed legislation in April establishing a $1 million dollar immigrants’ Legal Defense Fund because immigrants are being targeted by a presidential administration that has embraced White Nationalism,” Murray said. “Today, with additional money from our partners at King County, we are awarding those defense fund dollars to community organizations like the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Kids in Need of Defense, and West African Community Council, because they advocate for immigrants every day in what’s now a larger fight to preserve core American principles of Democracy.”
The partnership between King County and Seattle Foundation – called the Resilience Fund – will provide critical services to a broad range of marginalized populations, including people in the LGBTQ community, African Americans, people who have disabilities, workers who earn a lower wage and women.
King County and the city of Seattle have each allocated $1 million in one-time emergency funding, combined with $250,000 from Seattle Foundation and its partners, to provide services.
In addition to providing assistance to residents who are at immediate risk, the investments will strengthen community-led programs that help children, adults, and families thrive.
The investments will help nonprofit organizations expand successful programs that are already helping people in the immigrant and refugee community.
The Legal Defense Fund provides pro bono guidance and referrals to legal services to people living in King County who need legal representation for issues related to their immigration status.
The city of Seattle invested $1 million to establish the fund along with $550,000 from King County.
A partnership between Seattle Foundation and King County has established the Resilience Fund to strengthen community support for immigrants and refugees who are at most risk. It also provides flexible funding to respond to unanticipated challenges that organizations serving women and girls, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, African Americans and other communities who are experiencing changing federal policies and declining funding.
King County is investing $350,000 in the fund in addition to a $250,000 investment by Seattle Foundation and its philanthropic partners. Seattle Foundation has launched the second round Resilience Fund grant applications, with a deadline of Sept. 29.
The county will strengthen information and resource hubs operated by nonprofits so that everyone – including those who want to support immigrants and refugees – knows where to go for resources, alerts, and opportunities.
The county is investing $75,000 in the information and resource hubs.
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